Economics

Facts about the industry:

• Approximately 10 million people in the UK are affected by hearing loss.
• 1 in 6 people are affected by hearing loss.
• 6.5 million of the people with hearing loss are aged 60 and over.
• 3.7 million are below the retirement age.
• Approximately 2 million people use hearing aids in the UK.
• About 800,000 people of the 10 million are severely or profoundly deaf.
• Lots of people who experience hearing loss also have tinnitus which makes balance for the person difficult.
• About a third of all people aged 70+ have hearing loss.

The following figures demonstrate the number of communication services available to the deaf and of hearing.

• There are an estimated 50,000 people who use British Sign Language as their first or preferred language.
• The ratio of interpreters (including trainees) to sign language users is 1 to 156.
• The ratio of fully-qualified interpreters to sign language users is 1 to 275.
• Two Million people with hearing aids.
• 1.4 million people who use them regularly.
• Four million people who it is thought could benefit from a hearing aid.
• There are 921 hearing dogs that have been trained by Hearing for Deaf People.